Before the Story Starts

Inspired by *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy*, *Being John Malkovich*, and Alan Watts, master storyteller Thomas Dudkiewicz journeys through the subconscious of the universe in search of answers.

The story that isn’t yet a story has a surreal structure, full of cryptic hosts, capricious guides, and philosophical dead ends.

As he meets his alter ego(s), he unravels the story of the “why”—why does he tell stories? How does meaning arise? And what happens when we’re confronted with the possibility that there is no answer?

• Excluding consumption
• English spoken
• Please note: This performance uses a smoke machine and intense light and sound effects.

Media coverage of Before the Story Starts
“An exclusively acoustic journey featuring all kinds of sounds, in which Dudkiewicz repeatedly navigates a fictional maze of rooms, adding a new layer of sound each time. This allows him to engage in a dialogue with himself; for us, the initially disjointed texts fall into place like a puzzle, our imagination is sparked, and that quest for the beginning of a story ultimately turns out to be a story in itself. Brilliantly executed.” ( Trouw ★★★★★)

"The scenes are easy to visualize: a voyage at sea, entering new spaces, even oral sex. The narrative requires some commitment at the start, but those who let themselves be carried away end up in an ingenious maze where reality and imagination create a mind-bending experience." (NRC ★★★★★)